A Nashville law firm has filed a class action complaint in federal court on behalf of individuals let go from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in July.

Attorneys claim the hospital violated the WARN, or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, Act by failing to provide a 60-day written notification to employees.

“Those people when they were told they were terminated, they were literally told to clean out their locker and go home,” said former U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin.

The lawsuit was filed by former employee Tracy Morton on behalf of all workers laid off in July.

She had been employed at the hospital for twelve years and was let go in the first round of firings.

The Law Offices of Barrett Johnston says it has talked to 85 former employees.

The lawsuit comes just days after Vanderbilt announced more than 1,000 individuals would be let go. Employees in the latest round of cuts are not part of the class action complaint. Those workers received a 60 day notice and pay.

Barrett and Martin said Vanderbilt knew more cuts were ahead in July but they were intentionally spaced out so the employer could avoid the WARN act requirements.

“Vanderbilt saved millions of dollars by not giving people 60 days notice,” said Martin.

In a statement, John Howser, assistant vice chancellor at the medical center, said, “We will reserve comment until we have been served and our counsel has had the opportunity to review the complaint.”